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Approval Plans at OU Libraries

I.Purpose of Approval Plans

Like other major research libraries throughout the country, the University of Oklahoma Libraries acquires a number of new books through approval plans. The two most important reasons libraries adopt approval plans are: (1) to ensure receipt upon publication of all important new books in designated collection categories; and (2) to provide a means of acquiring automatically books which would otherwise be ordered individually, thus saving time of classroom faculty, librarians and staff in generating and processing orders.

II.How the Plans Work

The Library receives approval books weekly. Shipments are displayed in the Acquisitions Department for one week, during which time each book is approved or rejected by appropriate collection librarians. Classroom faculty are invited to examine these books also. Books not rejected at this time are cataloged and routed by call number to Main Library and branch collections. Special collections are not included in approval plans.

III.What is Received on Approval Plans

Approval plans should be taken into account when requesting book purchases to avoid ordering titles which will arrive automatically. The more rigorously approval books are monitored and reviewed the better approval profiles will conform to academic needs. Please bring your library liaison's attention to titles which you think fit the approval profile but were not received, and books which you consider inappropriate for the approval plans. Subject profiles and lists of publishers covered are available for examination in the Acquisitions Department, from your library liaison, and on this web page.

General Scope and Coverage

Approval plans generally include the following:

1. Publishers: Trade publishers, university presses, societal publishers, small presses, and museums.
2. Subjects: All subjects included in O.U.'s Main Campus academic programs, except Geology and Geophysics.
3. Publication Dates: New imprints (retrospective publications are not included).4. Bibliographic Type: Monographs (periodicals and other serials are not included).

When titles are excluded from the approval books profile, approval notification slips for covered publishers are sent instead. For example, approval notifications slips are sent for freshman level texts, newly issued reprints, etc. Notification slips can be used as selection forms. To request a notification slip title, the departmental library representative simply initials the back of the form and notes the departmental fund code, then forwards the slip to his/her library liaison. Notification slips are processed as regular book firm orders.

IV.Approval Plans Currently in Use in the University of Oklahoma Libraries

The following approval plans are currently in use in the O.U. Libraries:

Social Sciences/Humanities Plans
1. Subject coverage: Social Sciences, Business, Humanities, and Fine Arts
2. Vendors: Yankee Book Peddler, Inc., and Lindsay and Howes, England
3. Countries of publication: United States, Canada, and Great Britain
4. Languages of publication: English and translations into English

Science/Technology Plans
1. Subject coverage: Science and Technology
2. Vendor: Yankee Book Peddler, Inc., and Lindsay and Howes
3. Countries of publication: United States, Canada, and Great Britain
4. Languages of publication: English and translations into English

French Plan
1. Subject coverage: French history; political theory; French and classical languages and literature
2. Vendor: Jean Touzot
3. Country of publication: France
4. Language: French

German Plan
1. Subject coverage: Language and literature; slips for social sciences and humanities
2. Vendor: Otto Harrassowitz
3. Country of publication: Germany
4. Language: German